Oh What Could Have Been: The Megabass V-3 Bullet Shad and Bullet Shad Mini

Date:

4/29/07

Tackle type:

Lures

Manufacturer:

Megabass

Reviewer:

Cal

Total Score: 6.83

Introduction: Our continuing investigation into all that Megabass has to offer has taken us through highs with products like the Vision 110 jerkbait and the F4-610XDti Elseil, and lows like the VibrationX and F4ST-69RSDti Orochi Evoluzion. We've looked into the totally impractical yet desireable products like the Asylum, and products we simply could not do without, like the DeepX 200T crankbait. What more is there to experience? Well, how about a $20 spinnerbait? Introducing the Megabass V-3 Bullet Shad and Bullet Shad Mini.

Megabass V-3 Bullet Shad Specifications

Type

Hard Wire Bait

Size / Weight

3/8 (Mini) : 1/2 oz

Colors/Patterns

8 color patterns

Additional Features/Options

Titanium Wire available with Single Colorado, Single Willow, Tandem, and Double Willow blade configurations

MSRP

$20 (std) / $17 (mini)

Impressions: If there is a special place in my tackle arsenal for one bait, that product would be the spinnerbait. It's versatility in bass fishing is unrivaled and its fish catching ability well proven. But while I can somewhat understand and appreciate some of the higher priced cranks, jerkbaits and other hardbaits Megabass has to offer, I have a difficult time understanding the need and justification behind a spinnerbait priced at twenty whole dollars. Certainly Megabass's packaging of these baits is impressive, but really... twenty dollars?

Our collection of V-3 Bullet Shads for testing

The Field Tests: So of course, like any good tackle tester would, the best way to uncover why, is to purchase a few to sample and see what the fuss is all about. Then off to the water we took. Through the course of the last several months, I fished the V-3 Bullet Shad on several rods the most frequent of which were my F4-610XDti Elseil and my F3 1/2-65GTC Hien Type-S.

Complete test rigs for Megabass V-3 Bullet Shad Field Tests

Rig One

Rig Two

Rod

F4-610XDti Elseil

F3 1/2-65GTC Hien Type-S

Reel

Daiwa TD-Ito 103HL

Conquest 51

Line

14lb Fireline

10lb Yozuri Hybrid

Introducing the V-3 Bullet Shad Mini

Note the oversized head...

Casting: The Megabass V-3 Bullet Shad spinnerbaits features a compact design that is easy to cast and place with accuracy. The blades do well to avoid one another on the cast and I didn't run into any issues with the bait fouling on the cast. The Bullet Shad Mini features a bend in the blade arm to keep the blades separated while the standard Bullet Shad features a collection of plastic tubes and balls to achieve the same outcome. Both configurations seem to work fine.

... multi-bend arm, and large bearing swivel.

The V-3 Bullet Shad Mini is a nice match for the new Tomahawk GTC sticks

The Fall: A trademark of most any, quality spinnerbait, is the ease by which it flutters down the water column once it hits he water. I'm pleased to report the V-3 Bullet Shad flutters down quite effectively as I could see the blades flashing and swinging and twirling on the baits journey to the bottom.

The V-3 Bullet Shad features a bottom heavy head design...

...with a very
narrow top. This
design is
supposed to make
the bait wobble
from side to
side in the
water as you
retrieve it.